The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-09-30
MRS. PIPER.
IS. Piper was Il widow

Mrs. Piper was Il widow
"Oh dear me !
This world is not at ALL, she said, 'fhe placeit
used to be!
Now my poor husband, he was such II good
man to provide
never had the ~leastest care of anything out
side!
But now,
Why, there's the COW,
A constant care, and Brindle's calf l used to
feed when small,
And those two Ayrshire heifers that we pur-
chased in the fall
oh, dear!
My husband sleeping in the grave, it's gloomy
living here!
The oxen Mr.. Piper broke, and four steers two
years old,
The blind mare and the little colt, they all
wait to be sold!
For how am 1 to keep 'em now! and yet how
shall l sell?
And whats the price they ought to bring, how
can a woman tell?
Now Jacob Smith, he called last night, and
stayed till nine o'clock,
And talked and talked, and talked and talked,
and tried to buy my stock;-
He said he'd pay a higher price than any
man in town;
He'd give his note, or, if choose, he'd pay the
money down.
But, there!
To let him take those creeturs off, / really do
not dare!
For it's a lying world, and men are slippery
things at best;
My poor dear husband in the ground, he
wasn't like the rest.
But Jacob Smiths u different case; if | would
let him, now
Perhaps he'd wrong me on the horse, or cheat
me on a COW;
And so
l do not dare to trust him., and l mean to an
swer NO."
Mrs. Piper was II widow
ooh dear me!
\ single woman with Il farm must fight her
way said she.
"Of everything about the land my husband
always knew:
1 never felt, when he was here, ia anything
to do;
But now,
What fields to pillow,
And how much hay l ought to cut, and inst
what crops to SOW,
And what to tell the hired men, how can a
woman know?
oh, dear
With no strong arm TO lean upon, it's lone
some being here!
Now Jacob Smith, the other night, he called
on me again,
And talked and talked, and talked and talked,
and stayed till after ten;
He said he'd like to take my farm, to buy it
or to lease
L do declare, l wish that man would give me
any peace!
For there!
trust him with my real estate, l truly do
not dare;
For, if he buys it, on the price he'll cheat me
underhand;
And if he leases if, l know he will run out the
land;
And if he takes it at the halves, both halves
he'll strike for then.
It's risky work when women folk have deal
ings with the men!
And so
1 do not dare to trust him, and 1 mean to an
swer mo-"
Mrs. Piper was a widow
''Oh dear me
Yet have still some mercies left: | won't
complain said she
"My poor dear husband knows, trust, a bet
ter world than this;
sinful selishness in me to grudse him
heavens bliss!
SO now,
ought to bow
submissively to what is sent-not murmur
and repine;
The hand that sends our trials has, in all,
some good design.
dear!
If we knew all we might not want our buried
lost ones here!
And Jacob Smith, he called last night, but it
was not to see
About the cattle or the farm, but this time il
was me.
He said he priced me very high, and wished
I'd be his wife,
And if 1 did not he should lead a most nm
happy life.
lie did not have a selfish thought, but gladly
for my sake,
care of all my stock and farm he would
consent to take
And, there,
slight so plain IL providence l really do not
dare!
take the cattle of my mind, he'll carry
on the farm
haven't since my husband died had such a
sense of calm!
think the mar was sent to me-a poor lone
woman must,
In such a world as this, l feel, have some one
she can trust;
And so
l do not feel it would be right for me to an
swer mo-"
Marian Douglass, in Century.
The utter unscrupulousness of the rum
power was again foreibly illustrated at the
Ohio State Fair. Readers of the Farm and
FIreside will remember that a year ago the
State Board of Agriculture resolved to ex-
clude all traffic in intoxicating liquors from
its grounds. The state laws forbids the